Just a Dance
by Kat097
Summary: After 'Date with Destiny'. Beastboy and Raven start to realise there is more to being a teenager than beating bad guys. Like having fun, going out and your very first dance.


Disclaimer: I own nothing.

This is set during 'Date with Destiny', right near the end.

Just a Dance

Raven watched Starfire and Robin dance and rolled her eyes. How were they so oblivious? That was the thing about not showing emotions. It made you so much more aware of everyone else's.

Cyborg checked his monitors.

"I'm gonna go get a drink. I reckon we deserve some free refreshments." He said, walking away. Beastboy and Raven leant against the bars of the ships edge.

"We did good."  Beastboy said, stretching his arms. Raven didn't say anything. Beastboy glanced at her.

"You alright?"

"Of course." She started to walk down the ships edge, away from the lights. The soft music floated through the air. Beastboy followed her.

"Do you reckon that he's going to ask her out soon?" 

He said.

"Who?" Raven asked, although she already knew.

"Robin. I mean, it's pretty obvious that he likes her. Did you see the way they were dancing?"

"I saw."

"So do you reckon he will?" Raven sighed.

"I really don't know, Beastboy. I'm not psychic."

They stopped. The stars shone down and Raven gazed up at them.

"I never had a prom." Beastboy said.

"Neither did I. So?" Rave replied indifferently. 

"Well, don't you want one?"

"Not particularly. It's a pointless waste of time." She found herself using that word more and more lately. Pointless. Was that really how she saw life, Beastboy wondered. 

"Oh, come on Rae! It's something that every teen should experience."

"First of all, my name is not Rae. It is Raven. And second, we do not NEED a prom."

Beastboy stared at her.

"But… you're serious?"

"When I am not serious?"

"You really don't want a prom?"

"No. I don't."

"You don't want the whole new dress thing?"

"No."

"You don't want the free food?"

"No."

"You don't want to dance?"

"Definitely not."

"Why not?" Beastboy asked. Raven looked at him. He held her gaze. She sighed.

"Because… because…"

"You don't know how to dance, do you?" 

Raven turned away. 

"It doesn't matter. It's not going to help us beat Slade."

"Hey, Raven, you gotta loosen up a bit."

"I can't 'loosen up'. It's dangerous." 

Beastboy sighed.

"Raven, why don't you want to fit in?"

"Because I don't need to."

"You've never wanted to be an ordinary teenager, just for one day?"

"No."

A lie, of course. Raven had often secretly wished that she could be normal. To let her emotions control her, to be free for just a short while. But then she reminded herself that wishing for things you could never have was pointless. 

Beastboy stared at her. She turned.

"We should get back."

"Dance with me."

She stopped and stared at him.

"What?"

"Dance with me, Raven. Every teenager should get to have one dance, right?"

"Beastboy…"

"Come on. It's just a dance."

Just a dance…

Beastboy watched her with his dark green eyes. She stared at him.

"You really want to dance with me?" She asked. Beastboy nodded.

"Yeah. I wouldn't have asked otherwise."

He wanted to dance with her more than anything. For just a little while he wanted to draw her out, to get to know her. 

Raven lowered her hood. Her dark hair shone in the bright moonlight. Beastboy stepped forward and took her hand. 

"It's easy."

He put his other hand on her waist. For a moment she tensed up, but then tried to relax. She wasn't used to standing this close to people. It was usually dangerous. But for some reason, with Beastboy, she didn't seem to be having any trouble. Odd… 

Dancing was easy. You couldn't even really call it dancing. It was just swaying in time to the music. Even Raven could manage that.  Her head rested on Beastboy's shoulder. They were the same height, just a couple of centimetres between them, if that. 

But the most puzzling thing was her emotions. She could feel them inside her. All the different colours that were normally striving to get out, to reach the surface. But now they were silent. Not one of them moved. They were letting her be herself. She was just Raven.

The gentle music continued. Beastboy couldn't believe it. That was Raven's hand he was holding in his. That was Raven's waist he could feel beneath his other hand. It was Raven's head that lay on his shoulder, a warm comforting weight. It was the smell of Raven's hair that reached his nose. 

But this wasn't Raven. Not the same Raven who meditated whenever she had a spare moment. Not the same Raven who snapped at him, or gave irritable looks at him whenever he cracked a joke.  

This was the true Raven. The Raven he had so longed to meet. 

She was just Raven and this was just a dance. But he felt so… whole.

The music stopped. They did too, but Raven didn't move away. They stayed, clasped to each other. The water lapped at the side of the boat and there was no breeze. It seemed as though they were frozen in time.

But Raven pulled away suddenly, as though shocked and appalled with herself.

"We should get back."

"Yeah." They walked back to the dance floor. Cyborg was still gorging himself at the refreshments table. Robin and Starfire were talking quietly, both rather pink in the face. 

Raven and Beastboy didn't look at each other. They stood at the edge of the boat, neither speaking a word. Neither of them spoke again as they all returned to the Titans Tower. 

As the other three Titans went to bed, Raven went to the kitchen for a cup of herbal tea.

Beastboy was already there. He drained a glass of soy milk and turned to see her standing behind him. He looked at her.

"Hey."

"Hi."

Neither said a word. After a long silence, where neither of them broke eye contact, Beastboy spoke.

"One more dance?"

"Just one more." Raven replied, a smile touching her lips. Beastboy smiled lopsidedly.

As they danced Raven whispered,

"Thank you Beastboy."

"What for?"

"Dancing with me."

"It's nothing. Just a dance."

"Yeah… just a dance."

* * * *  * * * * * * * * * * *

Fairly pointless fluff! I hope you enjoyed it anyway.

Lotsa luv 'n' huggles

Katie


End file.
